Staffing shortages, difficult margins and overcrowded emergency rooms are playing out in healthcare facilities across the country.
Industry leaders recently shared their coping strategies in a recent Becker’s Hospital Review webinar entitled “How Top Systems are Driving Growth and Efficiency with OR Innovation,” sponsored by Ambu.
“It’s hard not to see this as a time to rethink old models on how we’re approaching the patient care continuum,” said Christian Escobar, vice president of marketing for Ambu USA.
How Do Single-Use Endoscopes Help Staff Efficiency?
Many healthcare industry partners are working to adapt to these new patterns of delivering patient care, he noted.
Ambu’s single-use endoscopes, already known for their infection prevention power, are increasingly viewed as a means to improve productivity and efficiency, since they are plug-and-play and always available.
For instance, when turning over a room quickly is critical, single-use devices ease demands on staff. Employees won’t have to immediately know the precise location of a reusable scope and won’t have to perform dozens of steps to meet the exacting standards of endoscope cleaning, Escobar said.
What Strategies are Hospitals Using to Manage Staff Shortages?
Nationwide, facilities are taking a variety of approaches to achieve success in the face of current challenges.
Mara Rosalsky, vice president of perioperative services for UC Irvine Health System, in California, is focused on building and expanding. Her organization has purchased community facilities and is working to ensure that their systems meet UC Irvine standards.
She acknowledges that her hospital’s heavy workload takes a toll on staff.
For instance, on a recent day, their ED had 130 patients, with 55 in the waiting room and another 57 waiting to be admitted, she said.
“That’s a rough environment to work in,” Rosalsky said.
How Can Single-Use Endoscopy Solutions Empower Systems?
At MultiCare Tacoma General and Allenmore hospitals in Tacoma, Washington, President Eddie Bratko doesn’t see staffing challenges going away anytime soon.
His facility has had good luck hiring anesthesiologists lately and partnered with Steris to train sterile processors, with 10 completing the program recently. But it’s essential to establish a pipeline of future hires by working with local schools and universities, he added.
For a company like Ambu, the shifting healthcare dynamics position single-use endoscopy to help healthcare facilities streamline workflow by eliminating reprocessing and repairs and enabling expansion, without additional staff or huge capital investment.
“We are really focused on trying to find ways to empower these healthcare systems to achieve doing these procedures where they need to, when they want to do them and in the most productive way possible,” Escobar said.
Be sure to check out the Becker’s Hospital Review webinar, “How Top Systems are Driving Growth and Efficiency with OR Innovation,” sponsored by Ambu. Ready to elevate your patient care with single-use endoscopy? Contact Ambu today to learn more about our innovative solutions.
